Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter facts and stuff. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. This is just may fan fiction.
Chapter 2
†Talking to a Madman Malfoy?†
It was a winter Hogsmeade weekend. The roads were covered with white snow and snowflakes were falling everywhere. Autumn had gone past. The winter made people feel that the long-awaited Christmas is rapidly approaching. Hogsmeade village was packed with people shopping, chatting or hanging out at the bars and inns. And most of these people are Hogwarts students.
"Go to the Three Broomstick without me, I'll just follow you there later." Draco Malfoy ordered his two cronies, namely Crabbe and Goyle. "Here are a few coins for you guys." He said as he handed a couple of shiny coins to his two humungous sidekicks. Crabbe and Goyle's eyes filled with glee and nodded without any contradiction. The two thickskulled blokes went inside the cozy but crowded bar. Draco Malfoy, the famous sixth-year Slytherin with silver blonde hair and pale skin was in his Slytherin scarf and coat. He was not that good looking or intelligent, but people could say that he's cunning. Draco told Crabbe and Goyle to go to the bar without him because something caught his attention while they were walking along the snowy paths of Hogsmeade. And it was an old man with shabby clothes sitting on the snowy ground with a piece of torn cloth in front of him. Draco approached the man.
"Curses! Curses! They're deadlier than thorny roses!" the old man sang with glee. "Black Magic! Dark Magic! They would make our lives tragic!" the man's teeth are yellowish. His eyes are full of eccentricity. His salt and pepper hair is long with a matching beard. It was clear that he was poor and old. "Snow! Snow! They will make these curses glow!" The man also has a scar on his cheeks, maybe because of his poverty that he was exposed to harsh things. The man's brown skin was a bit wrinkled and sagging with time. He has bloodshot eyes, but his eyes are magnificent and sparkling with wisdom and knowledge.
"Excuse me." Draco said, as he was eyeing the piece of cloth in front of the eccentric old man. He was interested because he saw a tinge of gold in one of the holes of the cloth. The piece of cloth seemed to be wrapped around some gold or jewelry. But if it is gold, why does the man looked so poor?
"Oh a boy! A boy! Do you want a toy?" said the old man with his gaze fixed on Draco.
Draco's eyebrows furrowed. "No, I don't want a toy." he drawled.
"Oh, you're coy! You are coy! Or is this just a ploy?"
"No." said Draco. He tried to remain calm. The old eccentric man was getting into his nerves. "I don't want any toys, I'm not coy and," said Draco with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice. "This is not a ploy. I just want to ask something." he said as he sat down the snow. "What is this?" he pointed at the piece of cloth.
"A cloth! A cloth! But this will not bring you broth!" said the old man again, in a sing-song voice.
"Stop it." Draco said. "No, this is not just any cloth; I saw a tinge of gold in one of the holes."
"No! No! This, you don't know!" the old man said but the glee faded away. But Draco was not contented. He picked the cloth and opened it. "No! You rascal! You're a trickery jackal!" said the old man with his eyes filled with fear rather than anger.
As Draco unwrapped whatever is inside the cloth, he saw two gold necklaces. He picked up the necklaces and gave the man a confused look. Draco examined the wonderful yet mysterious pendants of the necklaces. He saw mysterious symbols and writings. The pendants were adorned with gems of rubies and emeralds. Sapphires and diamonds are on the chains. Opals and pearls gave compliment. There was only one word for the necklaces, wonderful. It was heavy and seemed to be made of gold and pure materials, no fillers or trickery magic. It was true and pure, genuine. Then, he looked at the writings again, and began to speak. "In a golden chain you are entrapped, In a world of curses and despair, But now, that chain will be rapped, And you will now be free in t-" But Draco was stopped as the old man grabbed the necklaces. The old eccentric man looked pale and afraid. "Don't do that, ever again." he said with his voice full of grief.
"W-why? What are those? Why don't you just sell them so that you can buy food and clothing?" Draco said, and he was clearly confused.
"No.." said the old man. His gaze, again, was fixed at Draco's eyes. "Young man, this is a curse."
"A curse? What curse?" Draco asked curiously.
"A curse…" said the man, "I have a home, come, come later at my home. I'll tell you the curse… the story untold… for centuries! Centuries!" said the man. Then, the man began to wrap the necklaces with his cloth and on his right hand, revealed a ring, a ring with a familiar sign.
"That ring…" said Draco, seeming he wanted to stop the man from going away but the man stood up.
"That's just the story for now." said the man. "I live in the fifth cottage to the right of Hogshead." Then the man left without any hesitations.
"B-but.." said Draco but the man was gone. He, Draco Malfoy was now alone, standing between the crowds in Hogsmeade. Snow was falling on his cloak. He was perplexed and confused. What curse?
"Talking to a madman, Malfoy?" jeered a female voice. Draco looked around and saw the smirking face of Hermione Granger with her friends Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter.
Author's Note: This chapter is actually a flashback, this is where all begins. Enjoy.